Switch ratchet structure



July 5, 1960 F. G. NlcoLAus swITcH RATCHET STRUCTURE Filed July 30. 1956 Hal' INVENTOR.

SWITCH RATCHET STRUCTURE Frank G. Nicolaus, Chicago, lll., assigner to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.; American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, executor of said Raymond T. Moloney, deceased Filed July 30, 1956, Ser. No. 601,078

3 Claims. (Cl. 74-575) The present disclosures pertain to ratchet wheels such as used for step-by-step switching devices and the like, it being a principal object to provide a one-piece, molded ratchet wheel which consists of a spindle portion formed integrally withY the ratchet wheel, and a keyed and slotted coupling extension on the spindle for` driving cooperation with'a--switch contact means or -the llke, together with a spring-carrying hub formed as an integral portion of the opposite face of the ratchet wheel.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty and utility will appear as the following description proceeds in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the new ratchet wheel;

Fig. 2 is a magnified cross section through the keyed portion of the rearward hub portion of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the ratchet wheel and hub-mounted spring means therefor;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational detail of radial switch arm means carried by the rearward hub means;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross section through a journalled ratchet wheel and radial switch arm assembly carried thereby.

The disclosed ratchet means is applicable to numerous adaptions, but is especially useful in conjunction with electromagnetic step-up mechanisms such as shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 581,522, lfiled April 30, 1956, and to which reference may be had for more detailed showings of driving and holding pawl means for advancing and returning a ratchet wheel such as the present disclosures afford.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved construction consists of a ratchet disc having the usual ratchet type teeth 11 extended about its periphery, as well as one or more holes 12 in the face thereof serving as anchoring formations for certain spring means to be described, together with an integral pin 13 on the front face and a lug 14 on the rearward face, serving as stop projections.

On the forward face of the wheel is a large hub formation 15, which is hollow, with an axial bore 16 extending through the wheel and into a rearward hub portion 17, as in Fig. 5. A narrow ledge 16A is provided at the mouth of bore .16.

Projecting axially rearward (toward the right) is a keyed extension 18 of somewhat rectangular cross section (Fig. 2) which is provided with a longitudinal central lslotting 19 permitting the split members to be diverged and converged a limited amount for purposes to appear. Slot 19 cuts through only one side of the shaft.

The bore 16 is substantially reduced in diameter as at 16R prior to entering the keyed extension, which is wholly traversed by this smaller bore.

The entire ratchet wheel construction is a single-piece of molded plastic composition `such as nylon to provide good bearing surfaces in the hub portions on both internal and external working surfaces thereof; and to provide yieldability with strength and toughness in the keyed extension and on the ratchet teeth.

States Patent() ice In one of its adaptions, as shown in Fig. 5, the integrally-formed ratchet wheel, hub, and key-piece is journalled in a main bushing 20-20A staked into a base plate 21 to project from both faces thereof, and a switch panel 23 is mounted close upon the rearward bushing portion 20A with the rearward spindle portions 17 projecting through said main bushing and beyond said panel and thence through the hub assembly 25 of a rotary contact carrier disc 26 on which are mounted various radiallyextending spring contact lingers 27 (Fig. 4) having a keyway 28 therethrough which interts with the keying extension 18 of the ratchet wheel, thereby turning positively with the latter.

A retaining collar 30 is tted onto the remainder of the keying extension and pulled up tightly against the switch hub 25 by means of a screw 31 threaded into the reduced bore 16R and of a diameter to spread the divided portions of the member 18 at slot 19.

The enlarged hollow hub portion 15 is adapted to carry a large torsion spring 40 (Figs. 3 and 5), one end portion 41 of whichis olset to hook into one of the holes 12 for anchorage, while the opposite end 42 thereof is hooked and projects, in one embodiment, a substantial distance away to anchor on a pin member 43 of an associated pawl means indicated at 44 and forming part of a ratchet stepping mechanism which is not part of the invention but which is fully shown in the aforesaid copending application.

While the torsion spring 40 is normally runder some minimum tension, even when the ratchet is in its released or starting condition, so that it tends to press in various radial directions onto the hub 16, a spider washer 45 (Figs. 3 and 5) is nevertheless pressed onto the reduced neck or ledge portion 16L and is of suicient size to be engaged at some point about its annular extent by some portion of the spring 40 to prevent the latter from working even partly oif the hub.

. Thus, there is disclosed a simple one-piece molded ratchet wheel having dual hub portions and an integral keying extension slotted axially and laterally with a communicating bore to receive a. retaining screw which acts laterally as well as axially to hold an auxiliary hub means thereon, with one of the integral hub portions forming a large spring carrier, and the other hub portion constituting a spindle for the wheel, said keying extension and slotting providing a simple means for assembling the ratchet wheel in its journal in cooperation with a driven instrumentality such as the rotary contact carrier disc 26, or like driven means.

I claim:

1. A unitary ratchet wheel, spindle, and keying structure of molded plastic construction comprising: a ratchet wheel with toothed periphery; a large spring-carrying hub coaxially centered on one face of said wheel and having a washer-seating ledge at the fr ree end thereof to receive a retaining washer for a coil type spring to be mounted on said hub; said wheel having another hub portion constituting a spindle projecting coaxially of the Wheel and rst hub from the opposite face of the wheel, said spindle having coaxially projected therefrom an integral keying extension of approximately rectangular cross section with a pair of flat opposite side walls and a pair of respectively adjoining rounded opposite end walls and having a screw bore communicating into the same from the free axial end thereof, said keying extension having an -axially-extending slot extending laterally through the Width of the same and extending longitudinally from said free axial end in communication with said screw bore a predetermined distance inwardly toward said wheel, such that a screw of predetermined diameter threaded into said screw bore will spread said keying extension laterally of the rotative axis of the spindle and wheel to expansively secure a hub member to be carried upon said keying extension.

2. A ratchet and arm assembly comprising: a ratchet wheel having formed integrally therewith a front and a rear hub portion, the latter in part constituting a spindle adapted to seat and turn in a mounting bearing therefor and the former hub being adapted to carry a coil spring for driving the ratchet; said spindle having a bored keyed extension coaxially aligned therewith and split longitudinally along one side only of the wheel axis and the bore thereof so as to be expansible in a lateral sense; a radial arm structure having a key slot interfitting with said key extension and adapted to be turned through an angular travel with said ratchet wheel; and retaining means for said arm including a member threaded axially into the end of the bore of said key extension to diverge the split portion thereof and prevent separation of the arm structure therefrom in an axial direction.

3. ln an integrally molded ratchet wheel and spindle structure, improvements comprising: a spindle portion having an enlarged hub portion at one end thereof, an angular ratchet wheel positioned between said hub and spindle portions, the latter having an axially-extending References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 318,212 Shaw May 19, 1885 582,948 Pinover May 18, 1897 1,001,303 Reeves Aug. 22, 1911 1,196,650 Bootz Aug. 29, 1916 2,323,840 Obszarhy July 6, 1943 2,488,214 Marsilius Nov. 15, 1949 2,519,400 Robins et al. Aug. 22, 1950 2,541,790 Sugden et al. Feb. 13, 1951 2,727,407 Richards et al. Dec. 20, 1955 2,864,260 Nicolaus Dec. 16, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION y Patent Nor, 2194.3512 July 5XI 1960 It is hereby certified 'that error appears in bhe printed specification of bhe above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters 4Paten't. should read as corrected below.

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signed and sealed this 11th day ,0f April 19er.

(s EAL) Attest: A

BNEST w-WDER ARTHUR W. CROCKER tteating Oiicer Acting Commisrsioner of Patents 

